In commercial fishing the fisherman is desirous of achieving the greatest "catch" at the least expense so as to keep his profit margin as high as possible. Included in items which affect his expenses are his direct costs respecting his operation, such as fuel, bait, equipment and employee costs. Also, weather changes and the distance he has to travel to an appropriate fishing locale can effect his catch. Essentially, the fisherman wants to maximize his catch on each trip so that his expenses do not outweigh the income he can realize from his catch.
As indicated above, one of the items which can affect a catch is the bait used to attract the quarry. Whether attempting to catch fish or crustaceans the fisherman wants to use the minimum amount of bait, at the least expense, possible. When fishing for crustaceans, such as lobster or crab, the fisherman wants his bait to last as long as possible. If the bait is long-lasting it means that the fisherman can set more traps, or range farther afield, without having to make frequent return visits to his traps for re-baiting. Also, it is very desirable, when the traps are left unattended for a week or so, to protect the bait so that it is not consumed by unwanted species and is thus still available to attract the desired species. Certainly, it is desirable to reduce bait expenses by utilizing bait material which has heretofore not been effective or utilizable due to the nature of prior art bait containers.
Perforated containers for holding bait during fishing operations are well known, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,607,155; 2,765,575; 3,084,471; and 4,232,471. Such patents teach, inter alia, cylindrical, rigid or flexible perforated containers each relying on a particular structural or functional advantage to distinguish patentably over the known art. However, the containers of those patents do not lend themselves to the lobster and crab industry as practiced in the Canadian and northern United States coastal regions. in particular, such containers have relatively large perforations (up to one inch or so) and they would not provide the desirable features enumerated above. The containers of those patents would not be useful when fishing extends over a week or more with the traps left unattended.